Fremantle-based indie-rock favourite, Noah Dillon, announces Australian tour celebrating the release of the new EP 'Soft', out Friday August 30, via Dew Process and Universal Music. The Soft Tour will see Noah and band touring to Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Sydney, Melbourne, and Fremantle.
Latest single 'He's A Lad' is the third single to drop from the upcoming EP, 'Soft', premiered on triple j drive with Tyrone and Abby. The energetic and lyrically vulnerable track is produced by Andy Lawson (The Buoys, Death By Denim, Tired Lion). It is written about toxic masculinity that stems from a place of insecurity.
Noah Dillon shares... "I wrote it after a night at the pub where this guy wouldn’t shut his mouth about himself, a desperate alpha male. I got home and felt both disgust and empathy for him. There’s no excuse for being a tosser but I could see his fragile inner child putting on a man suit. What are you hiding from? Being soft? Being sad? So scared to not be the centre of it that he never listens and in turn is the epitome of what he doesn’t want to be… a boring, lonely person. It was written in reference to this one person but is really a glance at my thoughts of the toxic parts of all masculinity. You only end up fighting yourself when you try fit into a box."
The EP 'Soft' – Noah Dillon's third, following 2019's 'Everything Melts' and his 2021 breakthrough 'Don'tChange for the World (Like It's Changing Me)' – is a straightforward and succinct title, especially in contrast to the woven metaphor of his two previous titles. The beauty lies in the simplicity, which, in turn, reveals a deeper and darker complexity. Noah shares,“there's strength in softness... the strongest thing you could ever do is be as vulnerable and as soft as you can. It's not hard to be mean. It's not hard to be jealous... It's hard to be peaceful, calm and compassionate. It's hard to be soft."
Musically, 'Soft' is a blend of fuzzed-out guitars, layered harmonies and glistening synth. Atop each song, Noah Dillon waxes lyrical about topics close to his heart, which he proudly wears on his sleeve throughout. "'Soft' feels a bit more like it's looking in. The interesting thing that ties all of these songs together is they all have at least one passage that I was scared to show people because of how vulnerable they were," Noah Dillon says.
“Believe it or not, that's actually a good sign for me as a songwriter – if I'm scared, it means I'm being honest. By that metric, this is probably the most honest body of work I've put together. The further I get along this journey, the better I get at actually verbalising how I feel," Noah says.
'Soft' was recorded in the hills of Perth at Debaser Studios with producer Andy Lawson, who also worked on 'Kill the Dove', along with band members, violinist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Clancy Davidson(also of Smol Fish), drummer Jack Hill (who recently toured Australia in the house band for the musical Chicago), bassist Griffith Owen, and guitarist/keyboardist Sam Rocchi. "They're a huge part of it... they've given so much to these songs, and they're really at the core of this EP. It helps that they're also my best friends. It's so important to do this sort of thing with people you feel the most comfortable around," Noah Dillon says.
'He's A Lad' follows previous EP singles, the confident and defiant lead track 'Let It Out', officially added totriple j and most played track for several weeks, and the vulnerable letter 'I Still Adore You'. The band have just wrapped up their most extensive headline international tour 'Let It Out', covering sold out shows in Australia, Europe and UK and have just been announced to perform at BIGSOUND 2024.
Garnering over 5.3 million global streams, Noah Dillon's career has continued to soar. Marked by the release of his debut album 'Kill The Dove', extensive tours and festival appearances, has shared the stage with artists such as Stella Donnelly, San Cisco, Holy Holy and Teenage Dads and appeared at Music Matters in Singapore, Splendour in the Grass and BIGSOUND.
With Noah Dillon's multi-faceted approach, forthright lyricism and seemingly-endless energy, Noah Dillonhas once again made himself one to watch in the Australian music scene for 2024. With all that said: what's the key message Noah Dillon is trying to convey with 'Soft'?
“Live your life... to live your life well means to experience loss and to experience sadness, because you can't just have happiness that lasts forever. Things change, things move, people die – and that's OK. You gotta love it while it's happening and live your life well. That's what I want people to really take away from this EP: through sadness, grief and hard times, you're going to be OK," Noah Dillon shares.
North Freo Songwriters Club
Wed 9 Oct 2024, 7.00pm | Mojos Bar, North Fremantle, WA
Free Entry, Acoustic more »
Get TicketsFinn Alexander & The Forever Party
Sat 12 Oct 2024, 8.00pm | Mojos Bar, North Fremantle, WA
with Dolly Carton and Rocks & Rhubarb more »
Get TicketsMojos Recovery
Mon 14 Oct 2024, 7.00pm | Mojos Bar, North Fremantle, WA
Hospo Night, Live Acts, Free Entry more »
Get Tickets